Northern Illinois University’s College of Engineering and Engineering Technology hosted its annual Innovation Showcase this month, spotlighting research expected to drive the next decade of industry progress.

The event featured panels and presentations by six college professors and two industry leaders under the theme “The Road to 2035: Engineering Breakthroughs Today.”

Professor Venu Korampally, Associate Professor Mahdi Vaezi and Assistant Professor Vinay Budhraja presented on advanced manufacturing alongside a representative from Dukane, an international plastic welding company, according to a news release.

The panel focused on the ways materials and products are designed and built.

Korampally’s work in nanomanufacturing centers on making advanced sensors and diagnostic devices used in healthcare and environmental monitoring. Vaezi is the director of NIU’s Bioplastics Lab, which turns farm waste such as hemp, soy and wheat straw into biodegradable plastics, according to the release. The effort helps reduce landfill waste, boost farmer income and reduce plastic use that is harmful to the environment. Budhraja’s research focuses on 3D-printing flexible, low-cost sensors to monitor plant and human health. The wearable devices track stress, nutrients and disease biomarkers with the aid of artificial intelligence.

The Showcase also inducted the first four members into the college’s new Hall of Fame. College founding Dean Romualdas Kasuba, retired Dean Promod Vohra, and alumni Joe Sener and Divya Behl were inducted into the CEET Hall of Fame, according to the release.

An afternoon showcase focused on AI with Professor Lichuan Liu, Associate Professor Christine Nguyen and Associate Professor Sachit Butail, and Art Holzknecht, engineering manager at Hiwin, which is an international machine parts manufacturer.

Liu, the director of the college’s biomedical engineering program, uses AI in research to analyze sounds and signals from the body, including breathing, crying and speech, to detect health issues early in children and monitor heart conditions in adults. Nguyen’s use of AI and data analytics for use in real-world applications like making cleaner laser-cut metal parts and designing better brake pads, according to the release. Butail’s use of math and algorithms helps study how groups like bird flocks or human crowds behave. The work has been applied to study ecosystem collapse, track COVID spread and more.